Panel for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for fastening an in-fill panel element to a plane panel element of a covering for an aircraft, the in-fill panel element and the panel element being releasably Interconnected at longitudinal sides facing each other, a transverse pin being arranged at least in the end portion of a longitudinal side so that a hook element arranged In the corresponding end portion of the other longitudinal side is able to clampingly engage with a hook opening, in such a manner that a covering surface of the in-fill panel element is arranged so as to be even with a covering surface of the panel element.

The invention relates to a device for fastening an in-fill panel elementto a plane panel element of a covering for an aircraft, the in-fillpanel element and the panel element being releasably interconnected atlongitudinal sides facing each other.

From DE 197 30 269 A1 and the not prepublished German Patent Application100 63 035, respectively, a device for fastening a panel element to astationary bearing profile for a covering of an aircraft is known,wherein fastening elements are arranged at one longitudinal side of thepanel element. Usually, such panel elements that may comprise air showersegments or reading light segments are spaced from or arranged adjacentto each other along the aircraft interior. Moreover, there arepreferably narrow in-fill panel elements having no fastening elements oftheir own for being fastened to the stationary bearing profile. Suchin-fill panel elements serve as intermediate elements for covering aclearance that has been left vacantly between panel elements or at theedge of the covering thus formed. Furthermore, such in-fill panelelements have a trapezoidal shape so that they are able to bridge thegaps between the cylindrical and the conical portion of the airplanefuselage. During the fitting of the airplane, these in-fill panelelements are used when required. The known in-fill panel elements arereleasably fastened to a longitudinal side of the panel element by meansof an additional clamp-like connection element. A disadvantage of theknown fastening method is that an additional connection element isrequired for the connection of the in-fill panel element to the panelelement. Furthermore, the known connection element cannot prevent thatupon the local application of force upon the panel elements, for exampleby the passenger supporting during boarding or loading the luggage, anoffset with respect to adjacent panel elements occurs, which has avisually unfavorable effect and, moreover, leads to an undesiredclattering in the case of material fatigue.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop adevice for fastening an in-fill panel element to a panel element of acovering for an aircraft in such a manner that a safe and dimensionallystable releasable connection is guaranteed while the mounting is simple.

In order to solve this object, the device according to the invention ischaracterized in that a transverse pin is arranged at least in the endportion of a longitudinal side so that a hook element arranged in thecorresponding end portion of the other longitudinal side is able toclampingly engage with a hook opening such that a covering surface ofthe in-fill panel element is arranged so as to be even with a coveringsurface of the panel element.

The particular advantage of the device according to the inventionconsists in that the mounting is simplified by the fact that, on the onehand, no additional connection element is required and that, on theother hand, the mounting by means of the hook/pin connection isself-explaining. Because of the fact that the transverse pin and thehook element are arranged in an end portion of the abutting longitudinalsides, this results in a two-point fastening that guarantees a flusharrangement of the adjacent panel elements (panel element and in-fillpanel element) which is stable over a long time.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hook elementis connected integrally with the in-fill panel element whereas thetransverse pin is allocated to the panel element and forms part of afastening element for fastening the panel element to a stationarybearing profile of the airplane. Advantageously, the transverse pin hasan extended configuration so that it is configured so as to beaccessible for the hook element on a side facing the longitudinal sideof the panel element. Advantageously, a transverse pin serving anotherpurpose is utilized so that upon the manufacturing of the in-fill panelelement, only an adapted hook element has to be formed integrallythereto. Thereby, the use of material can be substantially reduced whichleads to a reduction of weight. Moreover, the fact that the material ofthe hook element is the same as that of the in-fill panel elementresults in an improved quality with respect to the demands on fireprotection.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the hook element is formedintegrally to an extension laterally projecting from a longitudinal sideof the in-fill panel element, the hook openings of the hook element inthe end portions of the longitudinal sides being respectively orientedoutward from the center. Preferably, the hooks extend on a commonstraight line. The hook openings have a tapering configuration so thatonly, after a first hook element has been put on a first transverse pinby displacing the in-fill panel element in the mounting plane, thesecond hook element can be brought into engagement with the secondtransverse pin. Upon displacing the in-fill panel element in themounting plane, the opposed hook elements are simultaneously clampedwith the corresponding transverse pins so that in longitudinal directionof the longitudinal sides of the adjacent panel elements, aclearance-free and safe fit is guaranteed.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the extension of thein-fill panel element comprises a clamping nose spaced from a base ofthe extension, said clamping nose clampingly encompassing the upper edgeof the longitudinal side of the panel element when the adjacentlongitudinal sides of the in-fill panel element and the panel elementabut each other, and thus effecting that the adjacent panel elements arefree of any clearances in transverse direction to their longitudinalsides. Advantageously, the clamping nose forms part of the hook elementso that the material use can be further reduced.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the in-fill panel elementis configured as an injection molded part free of undercuts and thuspermits a simple provision of a fastening means.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail withrespect to the drawings.

In the Figures:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective partial view of the edge portion of anin-fill panel element and a panel element in mounting position, and

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the in-fill panel element.

In FIG. 1, an edge portion of a panel element 1 forming part of acovering of an aircraft, particularly an airplane, is illustrated. Sucha panel element 1 is described, for example, in DE 197 30 269 A1 and thenot prepublished German Patent Application 100 63 035, respectively, andpreferably comprises, as plane portion, an air shower segment and areading light segment. Usually, the panel element 1 is fastened, at itsopposed transverse sides 2, to a bearing profile not illustrated andextending in longitudinal direction of the airplane fuselage. To thisend, the panel element 1 comprises fastening elements being able to bebrought into engagement with the bearing profile. The fastening elementsare arranged in an end portion of the transverse sides 2 and thus in anedge portion 3 where the opposed transverse sides 2 of the panel element1 as well as the longitudinal sides 4 of the panel element 1 extendingvertically thereto converge. Substantially, the panel element 1 has awell-like configuration, with a covering surface 5 facing the cabin ofthe airplane from the edge of which the opposed transverse sides 2 andlongitudinal sides 4 project in opposite direction of the cabin.Usually, the covering surface 5 comprises recesses into which the airshower segment as well as the reading light segment are able to beinstalled.

Part of the non-illustrated fastening element of the panel element 1 aretransverse pins 6 extending vertically to the longitudinal side 4 of thepanel element 1 in the opposed edge portions 3. The transverse pin 6 hassuch a length that a free end 7 thereof is arranged in immediateproximity of an inside 8 of the longitudinal side 4. Thus, thetransverse pin 6 is accessible for a hook element 10 formed to anin-fill panel element 9 from a rear side of the panel element 1. Likethe panel element 1, the in-fill panel element 9 is rectangular whileforming a covering plate 12 and comprises a longitudinal side 11corresponding to the longitudinal side 4 of the panel element 1. Sincethe in-fill panel element 9 serves only for filling the tolerance of thepanel elements, a transverse side 13 extending at right angles to thelongitudinal side 11 is substantially shorter than the transverse side 2of the panel element 1. Moreover, the opposed transverse sides 13 of thein-fill panel element 9 may have different lengths so that the in-fillpanel element 9 has a trapezoidal configuration for evening out thespatial asymmetries of the airplane fuselage.

In an opposed end portion of the longitudinal sides 11 of the in-fillpanel element 9, a base 15 rises from a narrow edge 14 of thelongitudinal side 11 to which an extension 16 with the hook element 10is annexed transversely to the longitudinal side 11. Spaced from thebase 15, the extension 16 comprises a clamping nose 17 that, in mountingposition, clampingly comes into abutment at the inside 8 of thelongitudinal side 4 of the panel element 1. The clearance between thebase 15 and the clamping nose 17 is dimensioned such that thelongitudinal side 4 of the panel element 1 is arranged without anytolerance in the recess formed in this manner.

Simultaneously, the clamping nose 17 forms one of two spaced hook innersurfaces 18 of the hook element 10 between which a hook opening 19 isformed. At least one hook inner surface 18 is broadened transversely tothe narrow edge 14 towards a free end so that the hook opening 19 isconfigured so as to converge from a base point. The length of the hookinner surface 18 is greater than the diameter of the transverse pin 6 sothat the mounting of the in-fill panel element 9 to the panel element 1fastened to the bearing profile not illustrated can be performed asfollows.

In a first mounting step, a hook element 10 arranged in an end portionof the longitudinal side 11 is brought into engagement with thecorresponding transverse pin 6 of the panel element 1 and displaced tothe base point of the hook opening 19. Thereby, the other hook element10 of the in-fill panel element 9 comprising a hook nose 20 can bebrought into a plane between the transverse pin 6 and the coveringsurface 5 of the panel element 1 at an opposed end of the longitudinalside 11. In a subsequent mounting step, a displacement is performed inlongitudinal direction of the longitudinal sides 4, 11, the hook element10 arranged at the other end of the longitudinal side 11 being broughtinto engagement with the corresponding transverse pin 6 and the hookelement 10 arranged at the one end of the longitudinal side 11 beingalso brought into a clamping position with respect to the transverse pin6 while removing the base point of said hook element from the transversepin 6. The in-fill panel element 9 is now arranged in press fit withrespect to the panel element 1, the transverse pin 6 being clampinglyretained in the hook opening 19 and the clamping nose 17 clampinglyabutting on the inside 8 of the longitudinal side 4. Now, the coveringsurfaces 5 and 12 are in abutment so as to be even with each other.Because of the fact that the fastening of the in-fill panel element 9 tothe panel element 1 is effected at opposed end portions of thelongitudinal sides 11, a robust and dimensionally stable connection isguaranteed.

1. a covering for a vehicle comprising: a first covering element havingtwo transverse sides and two longitudinal sides, the first coveringelement comprising a covering wall with a front side as well as a rearside, and a holding-down element being arranged at the rear side of thecovering wall, and a second covering element with an abutting side forabutting on one of the two longitudinal sides of the first coveringelement, wherein the second covering element comprises a hook elementfor encompassing the longitudinal side of the first covering element andfor engaging under the holding-down element of the first coveringelement.
 2. The covering according to claim 1, wherein two holding-downelements are provided, which are arranged at opposed ends of the firstcovering element, and wherein the second covering element comprises twohook elements.
 3. The covering according to claim 1, wherein theholding-down element is an axle pin, which is arranged in a cornerportion of a transverse side and a longitudinal side of the firstcovering element, and on which a fastening element for fastening thefirst covering element to the vehicle is pivotally supported.
 4. Thecovering according to claim 1, wherein each of the two covering elementscomprises an upright lateral edge defining the respective covering wall,said lateral edges forming the longitudinal and transverse sides, andwherein the hook element encompasses the upright lateral edge of thefirst covering element.
 5. The covering according to claim 1, whereinthe first covering element comprises two fastening elements each ofwhich is adapted to be pivoted about an axle pin and arranged in cornerportions of a longitudinal side and the two adjacent transverse sides,and wherein the second covering element comprises two hook elements forencompassing the longitudinal side of the first covering element and forengaging under one axle pin, respectively.
 6. The covering according toclaim 1, wherein each hook element comprises abutting sections forabutting on a holding-down element within diametrically opposed portionsof the holding-down element.
 7. A device for fastening an in-fillcovering element to a covering element of an inside covering for avehicle, the in-fill covering element and the covering element beingadapted to be releasably interconnected at longitudinal sides facingeach other, wherein at least in an end portion of the longitudinal sideof the covering element or the longitudinal side of the in-fill coveringelement, a holding-down element is arranged with which a hook elementwith a hook opening, arranged in the end portion of the longitudinalside of the in-fill covering element or the longitudinal side of thecovering element, is able to clampingly engage in such a manner that acovering wall of the in-fill covering element is arranged so as to beeven with a covering wall of the covering element.
 8. The deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the holding-down element and the hookelement are arranged in respectively opposed end portions of thecovering elements, the holding-down element being positioned at the onelongitudinal side and the hook element being positioned at the otherlongitudinal side.
 9. The device according to claim 7, wherein theholding-down element is an axle pin which is arranged at thelongitudinal side of the covering element and on which a fasteningelement for fastening the covering element to the vehicle is pivotallysupported.
 10. The device according to claim 8, wherein the hook elementis integrally connected with a bridge section projecting transversely tothe longitudinal side of the in-fill covering element, the hook elementand its hook opening being arranged at that side of the bridge sectionfacing the covering wall.
 11. The device according to claim 7, whereinthe bridge section projects from a base section, which is arranged inextension of the longitudinal side of the in-fill covering element. 12.The device according to claim 7, wherein the hook openings of theopposed hook elements are oriented oppositely and in parallel with thelongitudinal side.
 13. The device according to claim 7, wherein the hookopening is configured so as to taper outward so that the holding-downelement, after being inserted and briefly reset into the hook opening,is arranged in press fit in the now attained mounting position to thehook element.
 14. The device according to claim 7, wherein the bridgesection comprises a clamping nose extending in the direction of thecovering wall, said clamping nose being arranged at a distance to thebase section which corresponds to the thickness of the narrow edge ofthe one longitudinal side, and clampingly abutting on an inside of thecovering element.
 15. The device according to claim 7, wherein thein-fill covering element is adapted to be manufactured as an integralinjection molded part.
 16. The device according to claim 7, wherein theaxle pin is made of a metallic material.
 17. The covering according toclaim 1, wherein the cover is for an interior of the vehicle.
 18. Thecovering according to claim 1, wherein the cover is an aircraft interiorcover.
 19. The device according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle is anaircraft.